Comic book about Yongsan redevelopment tragedy in 2009
This is a "book concert" for an awesome-looking comic book about the redevelopment policies in Seoul that killed 6 in January, 2009. The comic book artists and surviving families will be giving a talk.
I love the line drawings of the cityscape on the cover and this poster! On my list of books to acquire...
Popularity: 1% [?]
Tags: 2009, development, Korea/Diaspora, YongsanSouth Korean Rev. Han Sang-ryeol visits North Korea
Rev. Han Sang-ryeol, age 60, is a co-founder of the Korea Alliance for Progressive Movement, a pro-unification group in South Korea. He has been on an unauthorized trip to North Korea since June 12 this year, having entered through the North Korean embassy in Beijing. With the variety of cultural exchanges and "exposure" trips to North Korea, it might seem odd that Han's visit is making headline news, but the fact is, this is the first case (publicly known, at least) of an unauthorized visit to North Korea by a South Korean since 1989 -- 21 years ago. 
Back then, Im Su-gyeong, a student activist, got into a heap of trouble for not only visiting North Korea but also receiving a hero's welcome there. In North Korea, she was celebrated as a "flower of reunification," a crime for which she was sentenced to 5 years in prison when she returned to South Korea (she served 3).
In a predictably polarized fashion, Rev. Han's visit is the subject of much admiration from the left, some of whom are calling him the "modern day Jesus," but it's raising eyebrows (and blood pressure) of right-wing anti-NK pundits outraged by Han's "pro-North Korean" actions. This RFA commentary even makes fun of Rev. Han's political and conscious choice in wearing traditional Korean clothes -- "If somebody in North Korea wore traditional Korean clothes like Rev. Han and grew his beard long like him, he would be seen as a lunatic and thrown into a mental institution. But in South Korea, nobody cares about how people dress." In other words, South Korea good, North Korea bad.
Well, take a look at this group of fellow crazy leftist Christian comrades, then, gathered for a press conference in support of Rev. Han. They declared Han's visit as an act of conscience, a desperate effort towards peaceful reunification and anti-imperialist struggles. A full text of their statement can be found here.
Popularity: 6% [?]
Tags: Christianity, Korea/Diaspora, NorthKorea, reunification, SouthKoreaWhy one North Korean man sought asylum in Canada
Don't get me wrong -- it's not like I believe every word on Radio Free Asia. No way. I subscribe to the daily Korean-language email newsletter because I want to stay updated on North Korea-related news, not because I endorse RFA's mission or intent. It's the same reason why I subscribe to all the right-wing and Christian fundamentalist email newsletters out there. 
Anyway, RFA was the reason why the Great Firewall of China inadvertently blocked Google in its entirety in March 2010, and according to Wikipedia, Chinese state-controlled newspapers claimed that RFA is a CIA broadcast operation. I wouldn't doubt it. RFA is a US Congress-funded propaganda machine, and North Korea has cleverly called RFA as "reptile broadcasting services." Hmmm... wait, but that's RBS, not RFA.
In 1999, Catharin Dalpino of the Brookings Institution, who served in the Clinton State Department as a deputy assistant secretary deputy for human rights, called Radio Free Asia "a waste of money." "Wherever we feel there is an ideological enemy, we're going to have a Radio Free Something," she says. Dalpino said she has reviewed scripts of Radio Free Asia's broadcasts and views the station's reporting as unbalanced. "They lean very heavily on reports by and about dissidents in exile. It doesn't sound like reporting about what's going on in a country. Often, it reads like a textbook on democracy, which is fine, but even to an American it's rather propagandistic." (excerpted from here)
So it's no wonder why RFA repeatedly publishes articles about North Korean refugees or dissidents in exile. Having said all this, RFA does actually gather and publish a lot of things that never make it into the news -- local, national, or international. I find more articles in RFA about North Korean refugees settling down in Toronto or captured in Thailand than in any of the mainstream media that simply regurgitate the same old stories without any new research or investigation. So, like anything and everything written about North Korea, take everything in RFA with a grain of salt.
This article talks about a University of Toronto student group that's assisting with asylum applications for North Koreans, as well as offering free translation services and English tutoring.
Then this article caught my eye: 서진우 씨의 탈북 동기와 캐나다 정착 이유. I've heard lots of reasons why someone leaves North Korea, but why did this man decide to settle in Canada?
Aha. Because with a Canadian passport, one can more easily visit North Korea than someone with a South Korean or US passport. Talk about politics of passports and mobility. So interesting.
Popularity: 4% [?]
Tags: Canada, Korea/Diaspora, NorthKorea, refugeeTwo very good articles about Time Magazine’s controversial cover
In case you haven't seen the cover photo yet, this is what Time Magazine published last week:
This is what happens if WE leave Afghanistan?!? As a friend said, it's "evilly misleading." It's so evil to use one person's tragedy to justify this terrible war. Absolutely horrific.
Jezebel, which often publishes quite smart and critical commentary on all aspects of popular culture, ran an analysis piece right away:
A Visual Introduction To An Afghan Woman's Mutilation (July 29, 2010)
And not to be missed, Daisy Hernandez has written a sharp and provocative piece in Colorlines. I've read Colorlines over many years, but I have to say, DH's recent articles on politics and culture really make me appreciate the unique media source that Colorlines is and should be. Hernandez has written an interesting piece on the right's opposition to mosques, this piece on queer politics and the film, The Kids Are All Right, and this piece on skin color and racial hierarchy. They're interesting, well-written, timely, and offer a critical perspective often missing in the corporate media. You should check it out.
How Time's Aisha Cover Obscures the Horror of War
Daisy Hernandez
How Time's Aisha Cover Obscures the Horror of War
Popularity: 4% [?]
Tags: Afghanistan, Colorlines, media, militarism, war, womenDaewoo wins major contract in Libya (again)
Following up the previous post on South Korea-Libya spy scandal, here's a little update in The China Post, August 7, 2010.
South Korea's Daewoo wins major Libyan project despite diplomatic row
SEOUL -- South Korea's Daewoo Engineering and Construction Co. said Friday it had won a major power plant project in Libya despite a row over alleged spying by Seoul. Daewoo on Thursday signed a contract in Libya with the state-run General Electricity Company of Libya to build a 750-megawatt power plant in Zwitina, some 140 km (87.5 miles) southwest of Benghazi, for US$438 million.
The project will start in November this year and is to be completed by May 2013, the company said. It is the fourth major power plant contract Daewoo has won in Libya since 2003.
Popularity: 4% [?]
Tags: development, Korea/Diaspora, LibyaLibya – South Korea spy scandal, alleged ties to US and Israel
South Korean media outlets have been reporting recently that a South Korean agent ("Jun") was deported from Libya on espionage charges. Libya has also arrested and detained a South Korean Christian missionary (Pastor "Koo") for violating Libya's religious law, and it has effectively shut down its economic mission bureau in Seoul, which serves as the de facto embassy in South Korea. I started following this because of the missionary angle, but it's even more interesting than I thought.
First of all, it's been reported that Libya was upset at South Korea's information-gathering (i.e. espionage) activities concerning defense industry cooperation between North Korea and Libya.
But in one of the most informative article I've come across so far, News N Joy, a progressive-liberal Christian paper, points out that the focus on the missionary is distracting and misdirected (somewhat intentionally by the South Korean government whose vague statements and silences let the rumors spread) and that this isn't a case of zealous missionaries causing diplomatic tensions. Yes, people are sensitive about this after the Afghanistan missionary hostage crisis in 2007. And a growing number of "anti-Christians" are mad as hell and quick to jump to conclusions.
JoongAng Ilbo and News N Joy both look beyond the Korean government's official statements (Libya AFP, London-based Asharq Al-Awsat, etc.) and report that the scandal actually began with a South Korean diplomat getting in trouble for espionage.
Libya is apparently livid -- LMB's own older brother Lee Sang-deuk (himself a member of the parliament) led a special envoy to Libya from July 6 to July 13, but was denied a meeting.
Apparently, this kind of "information-gathering" (i.e. intelligence gathering, spying, paying informants) is often used by Korean companies eager to secure contracts in the region. What's at stake? According to Joonang Ilbo:
The relationship has been heavily focused on economic ties. With Daewoo Engineering and Construction’s project to build a medical school for Garyounis University in Benghazi in 1978 as a starting point, 29 Korean companies have been working on 288 projects worth $34.6 billion in total. They are also eyeing more power plant and subway construction projects in the country.
But as News N Joy suggests, what's perhaps most intriguing (and worrisome) is that these alleged espionage activities were conducted not only on behalf of the South Korean government or companies, but other governments as well.
The target of espionage was The Gaddafi International Charity and Development Foundation, a charity led Muammar el-Qaddafi's son. In mid July, the Foundation had sent an aid ship to the Gaza, shortly after, and partly in protest against the now-infamous Israel's brutal attack and killings on the Gaza aid flotilla in May. Libya's flotilla was diverted by Israeli naval vessels to Egypt, without fatalities this time, but things have been quite tense between Israel and Libya.
So what other governments did the South Korean spy allegedly work for? US and Israel, apparently. But nothing confirmed. Of course.
Popularity: 8% [?]
Tags: Korea/Diaspora, Libya, missionary, spyRight-wing activities in Korea
Far-right groups in South Korea are waging violent protests against People’s Solidarity for Participatory Democracy (PSPD) 참여연대, hardly a bastion of the radical left (see this interesting recent article by Seungsook Moon):
Article and photo from The Hankyoreh
In response, PSPD has issued an urgent letter in response.
Urgent Letter to Friends, Human Rights Defenders and Peace Activities
Dear Friends, Human Rights Defenders and Peace Activists
People’s Solidarity for Participatory Democracy (PSPD), a watchdog NGO in South Korea established in 1994, urgently appeals to the international community for support and solidarity. PSPD has been oppressed and threatened by the Lee Myung-bak government. [ Read more... ]
In the meantime, Christian Right groups have invited George W. Bush to attend a mega prayer rally to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the Korean War. The theme? "Over Division to Peace." Yes, Bush for peace. It goes to show how "peace" and "human rights" could mean just about anything.
According to Christian news articles (here and here), Bush testified that "without the sacrifice of the Korean War, Korea would not be a free nation, but be under Communist rule. And the US and South Korea would not have become strong (blood) allies. America will not forget that South Korea was the first to side with America and dispatch troops to Iraq and Afghanistan when the 9-11 terror attacks took place in 2001. It's been 57 years since the last shots of the Korean War were fired, and I pray to God for the reunification of the divided Korean peninsula. Freedom is given by God to all on earth, and achieved through heartfelt prayers."
Protesters outside (many from the religious left) took objection.
Popularity: 6% [?]
Little bed or my bed?
We got George a tiny bed to match Puca's new bed, and look who crawled into the little one. Silly dog.
Popularity: unranked [?]
Christian reactions to gay drama in Korea (queer Korea series #2)
I haven't watched this drama yet, but it's put quite a spotlight on conservative Christian homophobia in Korea. More will follow.
Gay drama raises religious groups' eyebrows
May 26, 2010
By Lee Hyo-sik
Staff reporter, The Korea TimesKorean society seems much more tolerant about homosexuality these days. But what about a gay kissing scene on a prime time TV drama? That may be too much for at least some religious groups in this society where Confucian values are still dominant.
Nevertheless, homosexuality is no longer taboo as a soap opera theme. It’s emerging as a popular topic, raising the eyebrows of some religious groups.
Conservative Christian groups argue that it is inappropriate for terrestrial broadcasters to air TV dramas featuring gay love, insisting it negatively influences the “sacred” institution of marriage between men and women.
However, progressive religious organizations say that now is the time for Korea to openly discuss the controversial issue and find ways of properly protecting homosexuals and other social minorities.
SBS, one of Korea’s major broadcasters, is currently airing a soap opera, titled “Beautiful Life” on Saturdays and Sundays, which deals with love between two gay men, and their conflicts with family members and friends. Its viewer ratings exceeded 20 percent on May 23 when the two came out of the closet, pointing to Koreans’ growing interests in the once-social taboo.
MBC also aired a drama, titled “Personal Taste,” featuring a man who pretended to be a gay in order to live together with a woman he is in love with. An actual homosexual man played the gay character.
With more soap operas and other entertainment programs shedding light on homosexuality, conservative religious groups have begun stepping up on criticism against what they call the “glamorization of gays and lesbians” by TV program producers seeking to draw a larger viewership.
The Korean Association of Church Communication (KACC), a lobbying group for conservative Christian churches here, recently released a statement, blasting broadcasters for making homosexuality seem more alluring.
“Everybody knows that homosexual relationships are ‘not a social norm.’ A family should be made up of a man and a woman, with children being born and raised by a father and a mother. It is what the mighty God intended for humans.”
The organization then said it is not right for the society to generalize and approve homosexuality, stressing that a series of recent TV programs have overly beautified gays and homosexual love, negatively affecting the acceptable growth of adolescent sexuality.
“The problem with soap operas featuring gays is that homosexuality concerns only a small number of individuals. Most of us have nothing to do with it,” KACC spokesman Shim Man-sup said. “Gays can pursue their own lifestyle privately. But when homosexuality is highlighted and glamorized by TV programs, it not a private matter anymore. Broadcasters must stop commercially exploiting the issue for the common good.”
Another conservative Christian group, Esther Prayer Movement, sent an email message to its members early this week, saying if TV programs continue to feature gays as they do now, many adolescents may be misinformed about homosexuality.
It urged members to send protest emails and make complaining phone calls to broadcasters, and if necessary, to stage a boycott campaign against them.
In contrast, progressive religious groups say that the recent emergence of homosexuality should serve as a chance for Korean society to pay more attention to the welfare of social minorities and discuss how to better protect their rights.
“We do not hold a particular stance on this controversial issue. But we believe that everybody is equal before God and gays should not be discriminated against for their sexual preference,” said Ching Yong-taek, spokesman for the Christian Institute for the 3rd Era. “Their rights should be protected in a more institutionalized manner. We will take a range of measures to further publicize the issue.”
The group plans to hold a forum under the theme of “Beyond Hatred of Homosexuality” in Seoul on June 7, inviting a number of liberal-minded theologians from home and abroad in a bid to inform more Christians of homosexuality in the context of the Bible.
종교단체 게이 드라마에 인상써
한국 사회는 요즈음 동성애에 더욱 관대한 듯 하다. 그러나 황금시간대 TV 드라마에서 남성 동성애자의 키스 장면이라면 어떨까? 유교적 가치가 아직 지배적인 한국 사회에서 적어도 일부 종교 단체에게는 너무하다고 느낄 수도 있다.
그럼에도 불구하고 동성애는 드라마에서 이미 금기가 된 시대는 지나갔다. 일부 종교단체에게 인상을 찌푸리게 하지만 인기있는 주제로 등장하고 있다.
보수성향의 기독교 단체들은 지상파 방송국에서 남성애자의 사랑을 다루는 TV 드라마를 방영하는 것은 적절치 않다고 주장하며 남녀간의 “신성한” 결혼 인습에 부정적인 영향을 준다고 밝혔다.
그러나 진보성향의 종교 단체들은 지금은 한국이 말썽이 되는 이 문제를 공개적으로 논의하고 적정하게 동성애자들과 그 밖의 사회적인 소수 그룹을 적절하게 보호해 주는 방법을 찾아야 할 때다.
Popularity: unranked [?]
Visualizing the BP oil disaster in Vancouver
Generated from ifitwasmyhome.com. Scary, depressing stuff.
By the way, it looks like the folks there are well aware of the grammatical error -- if it were my home.
Popularity: unranked [?]
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